Life is Grimm
by MasterKenobi1138
Summary: Meet Team MCKW (pronounced "Macaw"), the newest group of Huntresses and Huntsmen at Beacon Academy, led by the rising star Max Caulfield. Despite their differences, they'll come together to do battle with the creatures of Grimm and investigate a criminal conspiracy in the heart of the Kingdom of Vale. A Life is Strange/RWBY crossover story, set in between RWBY Volume 2 and 3.
1. Chapter 1

**One: Red Leaves Falling**

" _I can't remember the last time we were at war. You don't think it'll come to that, do you?"_

" _Who can say? Grimm attacks have been declining over the last decade, which means the kingdoms are growing complacent. I have it on good authority from General Ironwood that there's a growing state of discord within the Atlesian High Council."_

" _Unbelievable. Atlas has gone downhill ever since I left."_

" _Even so, we have to consider our students. I'm grateful that you accepted this position at Beacon. I know it's not nearly as glamorous as your work in the field, but—"_

" _It'll do just fine. Besides, I've been looking forward to working with the great and powerful Professor Ozpin."_

" _And I look forward to seeing you in action as well, Professor."_

" _Please… call me Mark."_

* * *

Underneath the hazy autumn sky, four students wandered along the well-marked trail that wound through the bright crimson trees of Forever Fall. Far ahead of them were packs of other students, both human and Faunus, clad in myriad battle outfits and uniforms. Somewhere beyond the ambient chirps and rustling leaves was the haughty voice of their excursion leader, Glynda Goodwitch.

"…And please remember, everyone, that this territory is only seventy- _five_ percent mapped out," the teacher was saying. She slapped her riding crop against her open palm to emphasize every other word. "Since we are no longer on school grounds, be on your guard for any creatures of Grimm and report any incidents to me as soon as they occur."

"Wowser." Max Caulfield knelt down beside a tree, letting her gray cloak pool around her legs. "This is some field trip."

"I know, right?" To her left, Warren Graham picked a few stray red leaves off his shoulder pauldrons. His motion caused the collapsing staff on his back to jiggle back and forth. "This is way better than what we got in Haven!"

"You mean way cooler or way more dangerous?"

Her teammate grinned. "Uh, both!"

Max rolled her eyes and removed a utility knife from her belt. Making a careful incision into the tree bark, she waited for the red sap to begin oozing out of the wound. Then she held up the glass jar she'd been given at the start of the trip and collected as much of the viscous fluid as she could get. After a while, Max had gotten enough sap that she could get her reflection in the murky red glass. What she saw was a very young and anxious girl looking back, another Huntress in training at the end of her first year. She lifted her free hand to rub at her eyes.

Beacon Academy was everything she'd hoped it would be. Leaps and bounds ahead of the stuffy little school she and her friends had attended back in the coastal village of Arcadia Bay. Every day in this part of Vale was an adventure.

And every day was _exhausting._ Max had to rely on teammates like Warren and Kate to rouse her from her slumber each morning before class. She usually spent half of lunchtime dozing on her partner's shoulder, which earned her the charming epithet "Sleeping Beauty" from bullies like Taylor and Victoria. But Max knew that the teasing and the nicknames didn't matter. What mattered was her Semblance: Time.

With such immense power at her fingertips, there had to be drawbacks _somewhere,_ after all.

But ever since that day she left Arcadia Bay behind, Max had never regretted her power or her mission. She was here at Beacon for the same reason as everyone else: to protect the world.

That also meant protecting a certain young woman from getting too deep into trouble. And it was then that Max realized she hadn't heard from her partner in a while—

" _Booyah!_ " Max and Warren turned to see a blue-haired demon leap out from behind one of the scarlet bushes. Warren stumbled back, saving himself from a fall with a timely use of his staff. Max, however, got to her feet with her now-full jar of sap.

"About time you showed up." Max shook her jar. "I told you I'd be done first."

"Yeah, but I'm having _loads_ more fun than you dorks." Chloe Price stood a full head taller than Max and Warren, with short blue hair and a heavy black duster that flapped in the gentle forest breeze. She rested one hand on her hip and her other on the sleek blue weapon hanging at her side: a High-Velocity Sniper Spear by the name of Corvus Azure.

Nowhere on her person did Max see a full jar of red sap, which made her suspicious. She set down her jar and crossed her arms over her chest. "Any chance you could avoid hurting our group participation score this time?"

Chloe laughed. "Relax, sista! We're in good hands!"

Before Max could summon another retort, Chloe sidestepped and thrust her hand into the bush where she'd emerged. After digging around for a moment, there was a terrified squeak and Chloe yanked out another student from deep within the bush. The student in question was Kate Marsh, a terrified Faunus whose rabbit ears formed a delicate contrast to the chain mail shirt she wore. Red leaves had stuck themselves all across the front of her white tunic, which bore the shining gold cross that was her family's crest.

"C-Chloe!" Kate swallowed and presented her friend with a pair of jars, both filled to the brim with red sap. "I was just finishing up!"

"Knew I could count on you, Kate." Chloe let the girl drop back to her feet and took one of the jars, which she then presented to Max. "See, what I'd tell ya? All in good hands."

"That's not fair, and you know it." Max turned to Kate and put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey, don't let her bully you around. She's _supposed_ to know better."

"I know, Max." Kate smiled as one of her ears flopped down. "But it's fine, though. At least this way we're done faster, right?"

Max pursed her lips. "Sure, but we're supposed to be doing this for each other."

"We are," Chloe insisted. She mirrored Max's stance, right down to crossing her arms. "When the sap gets processed into syrup back on campus, I'm cooking everybody some hella amazing pancakes tonight!"

"You are such a dork." Max sighed and leaned against her nearby tree.

"And yet, you love me."

"And yet, I do."

From behind Max, Warren chuckled. "As entertaining as this is—and trust me, it _is_ —we should probably rejoin the main group. I can't wait to hear what else Professor Goodwitch knows about this place!"

Chloe shook her head, still smiling, and opened her mouth for a snarky remark. Then her mouth stayed open. Her eyes locked onto something beyond Max's field of vision.

When Max turned around, all she caught was a glimpse of something darting away into the trees.

"No way," Chloe whispered. She pushed past Kate and stalked deeper into the woods, heading toward the still-rustling patch of leaves. "There's no way that's her!"

"Chloe?" Max glanced at her remaining teammates, who were equally mystified, and then followed Chloe in a light jog. "Chloe, wait up!"

* * *

By the time Team MCKW reached a spacious clearing deep in the woods, the red leaves were falling fast around them, swirling in strange patterns that didn't escape Max's eye. She came to a halt, her hand slipping to the round shield hanging off her back, Cervus Sonata. Her other hand tingled, as she felt her Aura charge up around her, forming a second shield over her entire body.

She was battle-ready. And if she knew her instincts well, then Chloe was in danger.

Again.

Chloe appeared from the other side of the clearing, her rifle switched to Compact Mode and slung over one shoulder. She glanced left and right. Her fingers tightened on the handle of her weapon as she dropped it to her chest. When she noticed Max and the others arriving, she scowled.

"I can't believe it's another wild Grimm chase!" she shouted, kicking at the ground and scattering some fallen leaves into the air. "I _know_ it was her!"

"Who?" Max dropped her hand from the shield on her back. "Chloe, who'd you see?"

"Rachel—"

That was as far as she got. Chloe's reply was lost in the bone-chilling growl from behind. She froze for a second, then turned around to see something huge and black break free from the thicket of trees behind her. Its skull-white face and savage red eyes locked onto her, and with ferocious speed, the beast ducked low, avoiding her wild gunshot, before it reared up and swiped its massive paw straight at her.

 _Crunch._

Max watched as the Ursa's claws struck deep into Chloe's chest. She stood helpless as her friend went flying through the air, with thin crimson trails leaking out from her breast—

 _No,_ Max thought and lifted her hand into the air.

She met the Ursa's unblinking stare and focused all the power of her Semblance on it.

Time froze. Kate and Warren stood motionless, locked in mid-cry with their weapons drawn. Chloe's ravaged body hung in the air over Max's head. The Ursa stood on its hind legs, regarding Max as its next victim.

Red leaves hung suspended in the air around them.

And then time flowed backward.

Chloe landed back on her feet as the Ursa's claws removed themselves from her chest. The creature's head rose. Chloe's gun backfired, restoring the shot she'd made in a panic while the creature of Grimm slid back into the shadowy woods. Chloe froze and spun around with the grace of a ballerina toward Max, her weapon once more casually positioned across her chest.

As the pressure built up inside her head, Max dropped her hand to her side.

And time fell back in its natural order.

"…I can't believe it's another wild Grimm chase!" Chloe was saying. Her boot struck the ground again, kicking up a small storm of leaves. "I _know_ it was her!"

"Chloe!" Max pointed straight at the trees behind her friend. "One-eighty degrees! _Now_!"

Chloe didn't even hesitate. Before she could answer, her weapon had slid itself into a ready position as she stepped forward, spun around toward the growing black shape that came charging through the forest, and dropped to one knee.

"Bang," whispered Chloe. Her finger squeezed the trigger.

Golden fire sprayed out from the barrel, catching the Ursa in the face the moment it appeared. Howling in agony, the creature stumbled forward. Chloe rose to her feet and sidestepped, avoiding an impact as the beast sprawled itself in the middle of the clearing.

With a flick of her wrist, she snapped Corvus Azure to the left. Her rifle snapped itself into three moving parts, becoming a spear almost twice her height. Chloe glanced over her shoulder at Max, winked, and spun around to deliver the spearhead straight into the back of the Ursa's neck. The creature grunted and went still, as the red light faded from its eyes.

"Whew!" Chloe retracted her spear back into its rifle mode and slid it over her shoulder again. "That was close! Good call, Max—"

Max didn't let her finish that sentence. She interrupted with a side hug that almost threw Chloe off-balance.

"Oh, you're alive!" Max closed her eyes and smiled. "Oh, thank goodness!"

"Uhh, yeah, thanks to you." Chloe blinked. "Wait, hold on a second. How bad did that Ursa mess me up before?"

"Chloe!" Kate sprang forward, adding herself to the hug. "That was amazing!"

"Yeah, it was!" Warren came over and gave Max a slap on the shoulder. "You girls sure know how to take down a Grimm like nobody's business!"

Something else rustled from outside the clearing, grabbing the whole team's attention. Everyone turned to see Glynda Goodwitch striding out from the woods, with a pair of older students trailing after her. She pushed her glasses up to the brim of her nose and brandished her riding crop toward Max and Chloe.

"Ladies," she began. Then, turning to look at Warren, she nodded and added, "And gentleman. I thought I made it clear that we would be reporting all Grimm attacks to me at once. Not at our… convenience."

Maz rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry, Professor. We would have told you if not for the fact that the Ursa was already upon us."

"Yeah, I mean, do you _see_ the size of this thing?" Chloe waved her hands over the fallen beast. "We could eat for _days_ on this sucker!"

Glynda held her stare on Chloe a little too long, which made the blue-haired girl avert her eyes and back down. Then she refocused on Max and nodded. "As much as I want to reprimand you for leaving the trail and the group behind, your skills are sharp enough that you handled yourselves well. Now, then, let's rejoin the others before it gets dark."

Kate and Warren immediately fell into step behind the Huntress as she left the clearing. Max waited for Chloe to join her only a few paces behind. When she did, Max pulled up her hood and motioned for Chloe to lean down.

"I won't tell her why we left," Max stage-whispered, "but you've gotta tell me what you saw back there."

"Rachel Amber." Chloe's voice came out in a strained murmur. "I could've sworn I saw her, Max. And I know she's out there somewhere."

Hearing that name sent a chill down Max's spine. She pressed herself against Chloe for warmth and a small sense of security. "I'm sorry about what happened. I know you two were close back in Arcadia Bay, but—"

"I don't believe the reports," Chloe hissed. "Ozpin might be a great Huntsman and all, but there's no way that Rachel died in the first-day exercises. She was the only casualty in a school that features bullies and weaklings like Winchester and Prescott. How do you explain that, Max?"

Max didn't have an answer for her. She'd thought it over many times herself, especially in the months after Team MCKW had been formed.

But she'd stay vigilant nonetheless. For Chloe's sake.

"Come on," said Max, linking arms with her partner. "Let's keep moving. We'll figure it out back at school."

* * *

The ride back to campus was uneventful—something that Max appreciated. She leaned against Chloe during the trip back on the airship, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath. It was all too easy for her to imagine the poor girl flying through the air with fresh blood escaping through fresh claw marks—

 _Stop it._ Max closed her eyes and counted backwards from three. When her nerves had settled again, she opened her eyes and looked over at Kate, who'd fallen asleep against Warren, who himself was pestering one of the other students with a load of trivia about Forever Falls.

This was her team. Team MCKW, named for the brightly colored birds over in Menagerie. They weren't as glamorous as some of the other student groups, like Team CFVY or Team RWBY, but they were establishing themselves in their first year at Beacon Academy as a force to be reckoned with. When it came to their performance in the training halls, they were tough to beat.

Which reminded Max that she needed to get back to her studies as soon as they returned to their dorms. She'd been putting off a load of homework in preparation for the field trip. Fortunately, that meant she could use her Semblance to rewind time in short segments late into the night. With a wave of her hand, Max had all the time she needed for every reading assignment and essay. Granted, it wasn't the most _honest_ of academic practices, but it got results.

And more importantly, her practice got Max and Chloe into Beacon.

"Hey, we're landing!"

Warren's voice stirred Max out of her pensive mode. She sat upright, earning a quiet chuckle from Chloe. As the latter put her arm around Max, she let out a tiny sigh. "Home sweet home."

Glynda Goodwitch was, of course, the first one to leave the airship, with the entire student group trailing close behind her. Everyone more or less scattered apart into their respective teams once they reached the eastern pavilion of Beacon Academy, where the long shadow of the school's famous clock tower stretched over the entire outdoor area. Under such lighting, individual details faded, leaving only a mass of silhouettes roaming in groups of four.

Max found herself admiring the fading contrast between light and shadow on the pavments. If not for the homework she had to finsh, she'd be running to grab her camera and snap a few photos for her collection. She took some small measure of pride in being—she hoped—one of the few Huntresses in the world who was also an amateur photographer.

Still lost in her thoughts, Max bumped into Chloe's back. The other girl laughed and planted her hands on her hips.

"Well, well!" Chloe waved toward the other end of the pavilion. "Look what the fire ferrets dragged in!"

"Wassup, guys!" Bounding toward him was a tall and striking blonde student, wearing the somber black-and-red school uniform of Beacon Academy. Following close behind her at a quiet jog was an equally tall student who wore a bow in her long black hair.

Max smiled. Everyone at Beacon knew about Team RWBY, even if they weren't the oldest group in school, they were certianly the most accomplished. And while she hadn't sat down much with Ruby Rose herself, Max had gotten to know Yang and Blake quite well over the last several months, from food fights in the dormitory to beating Yang at several rounds of _Remnant: The Game_ at the library.

"I'll tell you what's up, firebird!" Chloe took a high-five from Yang Xiao Long and grinned. "Guess who took down an Ursa all by her self?" She offered a mock bow. "Yours truly, of course!"

"No! Way!" Yang's eyes lit up. "Gimmie details! Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!"

Sliding past her more extroverted teammate, Blake Belladonna nodded at Max, almost offering a smile. She greeted Warren in the same way, but when she turned to Kate, her face softened. Kate's rabbit ears perked up and she smiled back, looking as radiant as ever.

Max wished she knew what the deal was between those two. And why Blake's bow seemed to twitch every time the two girls were together.

"You were right, Blake," Kate was saying, "Forever Falls is breathtaking. I can see why you'd miss it."

A shadow crossed Blake's face. "I don't miss it, exactly. And there are some things about it I'd rather not remember." When she looked over at Max and Warren, her smile reappeared. "We were just on our way to the café for a meal. Care to join us?"

Max looked over at Chloe. She and Yang had gotten themselves into a frenzied exchange about the Ursa takedown and the latest specifications on Chloe's weapon and a thousand other details that only they would find fascinating. Max shook her head and smiled to herself.

"You know what?" she answered Blake. "I think we could all use a quick bite and a little rest. Thanks."

Blake nodded and turned back toward the main school building. "My pleasure."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: For the record, here are some of the characters I've introduced from Life is Strange into the world of RWBY, complete with team names and pronunciations.**_

 _ **Team MCKW (pronounced "Macaw"): Max, Chloe, Kate, and Warren**_

 _ **Team VYLT ( pronounced "Violet"): Victoria, Yasmine, Logan, and Taylor**_

 _ **Team DJLN (pronounced "Darjeeling"): Dana, Juliet, Luke, and Nathan**_

 _ **I was trying to find a way to bring in other LiS characters like Alyssa, Daniel, and Stella, but I couldn't figure out how to work their names into a suitable team acronym. Of course, there are plenty of other characters you can expect to see in upcoming chapters.**_

* * *

 **Two: A Wake-Up Call**

" _Professor Ozpin? I have the files you requested."_

" _Thank you, Glynda. Is something the matter?"_

" _I know it's not my place to second-guess your judgment—"_

" _On the contrary. I think no one else but you is qualified for that precise job."_

" _It's only… why these students in particular? Two low-score fighters from a coastal village to the southwest, an overachiever from Haven, and a very shy transfer student from Menagerie. Do you really think that they're worth so much of our efforts? When we have so many other promising teams to consider?"_

" _Ah, but that's the point. I've often found that today's least likely candidates for success can prove to be the most valuable assets in the future."_

* * *

By the time the first beam of sunlight snuck through the curtains over her bed, Kate had already risen, showered and put on her school uniform. After a rough night with Max trying to talk Chloe down from her Rachel Amber vision, everyone was bound to feel a little groggy the next morning. But for Kate, that only meant she woke up a few minutes before dawn and not the usual half-hour.

Like she did every morning, Kate contributed to her team by tidying up the room. This meant putting Max and Warren's books in order and then tackling the pile of clothes and armor that Chloe left beside her bed. Chloe would never acknowledge the messes she left or Kate's cleaning habits, but as teammates, there existed a mutual, unspoken trust that came with such rituals. Max had explained it perfectly: if Chloe was sure to leave a mess for Kate to clean up, she was just as sure to watch her friend's back in the heat of battle.

Her ears twitched when she caught wind of Max snoring from the other side of the room. Kate smiled at her team leader and made her way over to the tiny cabinet reserved for food and drinks. Within seconds, she had whipped up a fresh steaming mug of tea and set it down on the nightstand beside Max's bed.

Kate had barely turned around when she heard a sudden slurp, followed by an equally loud series of gulps. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw that Max had grabbed the mug and drained half of it in a single go. Max still lay in bed with her eyes shut, but now she was smiling.

"Thanks, Kate," she mumbled through her lips.

Kate giggled and went to prepare a cup for herself. "Anytime."

"How long 'til class?"

"Another two hours, at least."

She didn't get another response except a prolonged yawn and Max turning over in bed. Kate took a sip of her tea and sat back, waiting for her team to rouse themselves into action.

Sadly, this was the best part of her day.

 _It wasn't always this way,_ she thought as she drank her tea.

Watching Warren stretch his arms and rouse himself out of bed, she ran the secret over and over again in her head. Twisting it forward and backward like a precious gem in the palm of her hand.

She didn't know how to tell them what she'd seen. Or if they'd even believe her.

Her mother had warned her before she'd left for Beacon: _Humans don't understand our kind._ Kate had refused to believe that she couldn't make friends, and thanks to students like Max and Warren, she'd been vindicated. But in these little dark moments to herself, when she could stop and think, Kate let her guard down, and her mother's disapproving voice came back to haunt her, dredging up old worries and fears from the pit of her stomach.

 _My friends care,_ Kate thought, challenging the voice in the back of her head. _They'd fight for me._

 _Maybe on the battlefield, but never in the classroom,_ the voice retorted.

 _I won't let you ruin this for me!_ Kate refocused her attention on the notebook she dropped into her lap, giving herself a chance to read over her schedule for the day.

They had Weapons Theory at eight, followed by two hours of Battle Practice, Morning Break, and then hanging around the library until their History of Remnant course in the afternoon. All in all, a full day's work for Team MCKW, provided they didn't run into any more wild Grimm or strange visions of missing students along the way.

Speaking of which—

"Blargh… it's _way_ too damn early for this nonsense," a voice muttered out from underneath the covers of Chloe's bed. Kate caught a glimpse of her teammate huddled underneath the quilt. "Yo, Kate. Tell me I can skip class today? Promise I'll owe you."

"Not on your life," Max called out over her shoulder. Like Chloe, she was curled up underneath her sheets, with her back to Kate as she faced the wall. "Goodwitch is gonna mark us down if you cut class again, especially after that business in the forest."

"Yeah, but…" The quilt on Chloe's bed snarled itself open, revealing a tousled blue mane atop a scrunched-up face. "Who in their right mind teaches a class at eight in the morning?"

"You can sleep for another hour and a half, Girl Wonder."

Kate was half-tempted to comfort Chloe as she sank defeated underneath the sheets once more. But that same guilt held her back. Whispered terrible things about the human race and their lack of mercy when it came to the concerns of the Faunus.

 _She's not like that!_ Kate fired back. She pressed her knees against her chest and rested her head on top of them.

With her three teammates all slowly—bitterly—trying to steal a little more sleep, Kate sat back on her bed and tried to console herself. After all, they didn't have to start class right away.

Which gave her plenty of time to brood over something she wouldn't dare talk about.

* * *

From her seat in the third row, Max scribbled away in her notebook, keeping one eye on her notes and her other on Chloe, who sulked in the seat next to hers. On any other day, Max would've given her a nudge to pay attention, but after the previous day's events, she'd decided against it. Chloe hadn't mentioned it all morning, and Max knew better than to push an issue until her partner brought it up. As she inevitably would, even if it ended up being at the worst possible moment.

Meanwhile, Max tried to focus on her teacher's words. And when she missed a line, she wasn't above a discreet jump back through time—only by a minute or so—to catch up on her notes.

"Now, I know that you're all very excited about what I've brought to class today—and trust me, I am, too. This material is going to revolutionize weapons crafting for Huntsmen and Huntresses in the same way that foldable frames did a few generations ago…"

At the base of the classroom's amphitheater design stood Professor Mark Jefferson, one of the foremost Huntsmen from Atlas. Every Huntress knew him by sight, from his glossy black hair and goatee to his gray overcoat and black tie to the thin black spectacles through which he perpetually squinted. Unlike the other professors at Beacon, he had the distinction of wearing gold epaulets on his shoulders. Rumor had it that he'd earned them after some major kill in the field, perhaps the last Grimm he'd killed before he'd retired as a Huntsman and became a teacher at the very academy where he'd studied.

Max didn't give much heed to the storm of rumors that swirled through the halls of Beacon. She had far more interest in the actual lessons that Professor Jefferson had to offer, and how they'd help her become a true Huntress.

As he put his hand down on the silver suitcase on his desk, Jefferson winked at the students gathered in the front row. Max fought a momentary flash of jealousy when she saw Victoria Chase—the leader of Team VYLT and a constant thorn in her side—blush and avert her gaze.

She didn't hate Victoria—not entirely, at least. The girl was a respectable fighter and commander in the field, but she was image-obsessed and always currying favor with older students and teachers like Jefferson. And her status in the Atlesian Royals clique didn't endear her any further to Max's small-town sensibilities.

"Ladies and gentleman," Jefferson announced, "I present you a real-life sample of the latest marvel to come from the Kingdom of Atlas." He lifted his hand, presenting a small object into the air. "Say hello to smart metal!"

Having slipped on a glove from the suitcase, Jefferson held up a palm-sized orb of liquid metal. At a twitch of his fingers, a blue electrical current rippled across the surface of his gloved hand. The metal flowed around his palm, extending itself and hardening into new dimensions. Within a second, the material had slipped itself across the entire glove, turning ordinary black cloth into a flexible metal gauntlet. Even from the third row, Max could see that the metal had a fine mirror polish, reflecting the faces of every student watching the transformation.

Jefferson, meanwhile, walked around to the front of his desk, waving his new gauntlet through the air in a casual motion as he spoke. "Thanks to the efforts of the Schnee Dust Company and their Research Division, we're looking at a potential successor to the foldable frames that we Huntsmen and our forefathers have grown accustomed to in our weapons. Imagine how fast we can deploy our weapons in the field, using only a simple flask of smart metal and a pair of electroshock gloves."

He came to a stop near the center of the room, keeping his gauntlet lifted as he scanned the faces of his audience. "As Hunters, what's our first priority?"

"Protecting the human race!" someone behind Max called out.

"Good. And can anyone tell me what our key advantage is?"

"Dust!" Warren offered, already on the edge of his seat.

"True. What else?"

"Aura!" This response came from Taylor, Victoria's blonde lackey, also seated up front.

"True." Jefferson pushed up the brim of his glasses with a single metal-coated finger. "But there's something just as important to consider. Anyone else know what that is?"

An awkward silence ensued.

After letting it stretch on for a few more seconds, Jefferson smiled. He lowered his gauntlet and snapped his fingers. The metal surrounding his glove retreated in an instant, collapsing back onto itself and reassuming its original spherical shape. Max watched with surprise as her teacher casually tossed the metal orb into the air, caught it, and slipped it into his pocket without a care.

"Human beings and Faunus both possess Aura, as well as the ability to use Dust," he told the class, "but what separates us from the creatures of Grimm is our _determination._ Quite simply, we are smarter and more creative in our desire to survive and prosper in this world. A Grimm can only rely on its natural instincts to kill or be killed, but we are so much more than that, both as individuals and as a species."

When Jefferson winked, Max could almost imagine his gaze lingering on her. "Never forget it, and never doubt it."

* * *

Class ended half an hour later, following another lecture on weapons efficiency rates and a short video on historic duels from the Vytal Festival. When the buzzer went off at the end of the hour, Warren caught Max's eye and nudged his head toward Jefferson, who had retreated to his desk with the smart metal sample still in hand. Max smiled and nodded back. In unison, they began to move down the steps toward the professor's desk.

Unfortunately, Chloe's hand fell on Max's shoulder. Looking back, Max read a guarded expression on her friend's face, only a hair more amicable than the sour mood she'd been putting on all morning.

"I know what you're gonna say," Chloe began, and as Max opened her mouth, she got a finger pressed against her lips. "And I'm sure you've already rewound time in this conversation, so let's skip the argument, okay? I'm going to see Ozpin about what happened yesterday."

Max blinked. In a fit of surprise, she flexed her right hand, looking for traces of her Semblance being used without her knowledge. When she reassured herself that she hadn't accidentally rewound time, she met Chloe's gaze again.

"I'm not looking to argue with you, but I wonder if _now_ is the best time to see the headmaster," Max replied.

"Well, there ain't gonna be a better time." Chloe slid away from Max and began her furious pace toward the rear exit. "You coming or not?"

Max bit down on her lip. When she glanced at Warren and Kate, all she got back was a pair of shrugs and confused looks. Tilting her head to the left, Max saw that Jefferson was already talking to a quartet of students. Namely, to the bright and eager faces of Victoria Chase, Yasmine Boulos, Logan Robertson, and Taylor Christensen. The respective members of Team VYLT, already jockeying for Jefferson's attention with questions about smart metal.

It would've been easy for Max to lift her hand and use her Semblance to rewind a few minutes back so that she could avoid the confrontation with Chloe and beat Victoria's team to Jefferson. And Max had done just that in other classes, much to Victoria's ire.

But for some reason, today didn't seem worth it. The anger written on Chloe's face kept her from making that easy decision.

"Fine," she told Chloe. Max looked her in the eye and crossed her arms. "But we tell Ozpin together, okay? And we accept whatever he tells us, no matter how much it hurts."

Chloe nodded, a touch more sober than before. "You got it, boss."

"And don't you forget it."

They made their way to the back of the class and out into the hallway, where other students were already walking about to their next class. Max knew they had some time to spare before they had to show up for Battle Practice in the sparring arena—and thanks to her Semblance, they'd always manage to be on time, regardless of what or who they ran into along the way. So she kept her pace light and casual, always one step behind Chloe's bitter stomp down the corridor as they headed for the school's clock tower.

Turning a corner, Max caught a glimpse of another group of students coming toward them. Four more students, all wearing designer clothing in shades of blue, orange, violet, and green. Except for Luke Parker, the short kid with dark hair near the back, the group's members were all rather good-looking and had the airs of a privileged background, especially with the quality of the girls' jewelry and make-up.

Dana Ward, the leader of the group, drew everyone's notice with her perky demeanor and eye-catching beauty. Beside her was Juliet Watson, her more somber but devoted second-in-command, reading something from her personal Scroll. Bringing up the rear was Luke, a quiet and nervous fighter whose outfit had twin bandoliers of Dust cartridges crisscrossing his chest. And then there was Nathan Prescott, a well-known bully whose face was fixed in a permanent scowl.

At least, it was whenever Max saw him. And why would today be any different?

"Geez, like I need this right now," Chloe muttered under her breath. She squared her shoulders and picked up her unflinching walk down the hall. As she drew close, she offered a curt nod and slid her way past the team without a second glance.

Max and Warren did their best to offer a friendlier greeting as they passed Team DJLN. They had almost made a clean break, except for the quiet gasp that Max heard behind her.

When she turned around, her heart sank.

Kate stood paralyzed in the middle of the hallway. Her long ears twitched like birds about to leave a tree branch in a panic. She clutched her notebook to her chest, staring and sweating at Team DLJN.

Specifically, at Nathan Prescott.

"Got something to say, Hopalong?" he offered with a sneer. "I thought it was only deer who froze up in the headlights." He got an awkward chuckle and fist bump from his teammate Luke, then laughed himself.

Kate mumbled something like "I'm sorry," but it was too low for Max to hear clearly. She could only watch as Kate turned away, covering up a sob with one hand over her mouth as she ran back the way they'd came.

"Dude, what the hell?" Warren stepped over to Nathan. "You think that was funny—?"

"Uh, yeah, I do!" Nathan threw back his head, still laughing. "Oh, man! Did you even _see_ the look on her face? Priceless!"

Max intercepted Warren's fist before he could bring it toward Nathan's face. She didn't need to rewind time to do it, relying on years of finely-honed instinct instead. When she stared Warren down, her teammate turned a downcast gaze toward the floor.

"Not now," said Max, low enough for only him and Chloe to hear. "Kate comes first, all right?"

"Understood." She could hear the hurt undertone in Warren's voice as if his expression didn't spell it out enough.

Meanwhile, Chloe took a step back from both teams. "Whatever. I'm going to Ozpin's."

"How nice of you to rat us out!" Juliet scoffed. Nathan's reply to that was a derisive snort, followed by a sneer pointed straight at Max.

It was at that point that Max decided she needed to force a change. And fast.

She rewound time by half a minute—not long enough to stop Kate from running away, but before Warren tried to pick a fight and Chloe tried to bail. In the hazy red glow of the altered timeline, Max saw Nathan's head bob up and down in laughter, but in reverse. In that brief space outside of time, she contemplated punching him halfway through his little giggle, just to give him a taste of his own medicine.

 _Not now,_ she reminded herself. Kate was on her own and they as a team needed to talk.

When Max dropped her hand and let her Aura fade, she saw Warren's face tighten with rage once more. In her peripheral vision, Chloe responded with Nathan's laughter and Kate's departure with an irritated eye roll. She was already starting to back away when Max reached out and grabbed her by the forearm.

"Kate comes first," Max whispered, refusing to break eye contact with Chloe. "She's scared and upset and we need to know why. And once we do, _then_ we'll see Ozpin. Okay?"

Chloe blinked. For a moment, her tough-girl exterior dropped, leaving only a confused expression in its wake. She glanced toward Team DJLN, then back at Max.

"You got it, Max," she finally answered.

Max didn't even bother with the perplexed silence from Nathan and the others when she left with her teammates. They kept a good pace as they ran after Kate. And the whole time, Max could feel a pair of eyes locked on some point right between her shoulder plates. A predatory glance that she knew she'd meet again.

Far too soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three: Unearthing Secrets**

" _You were supposed to detain her without incident. Care to explain?"_

" _Look, things… got out of hand. Everything was fine, but the concoction didn't take. She panicked and ran. C'mon, if I'd have gone after her, you know it would've looked suspicious."_

" _It'll look more suspicious if she mentions your name at the party."_

" _Relax. She'll barely remember what happened. The narc's good for that, at least."_

" _You're asking me to accept a lot on faith, Nathan. Too much attention on you puts everyone at risk, including your family. And all because of one half-trained Faunus."_

"… _You're right. I'm sorry. I'll take care of it, okay?"_

" _Make it quick. We've got a schedule to keep."_

* * *

Outside the main school building of Beacon Academy was a reflecting pool, only a few yards away from the impressive set of statues flanking the center of campus. Every student knew the statues well: the _Triumphant Huntsman_ , cast in the image of some half-remembered hunt from antiquity. A proud warrior and his female companion stood on the back of a fallen Beowulf, their swords lifted high into the air. Even with decades of weathering on their stone likenesses, they remained intact as a warning to the Grimm and a symbol of hope for humanity.

And for Faunus like Kate Marsh, they were a tortured reminder of her place in between those two worlds.

Staring at her reflection in the water, she watched the way her ears twitched and hated it. Hated with the passion of a supernova, fanning out in all directions. Hated herself for being so stupid and weak, especially compared to the rest of her team—

" _Kate!_ "

Max's voice rang out from across the courtyard. Kate sat up and noticed her friends making a beeline for her from the other side of the main building. She contemplated making another run for it, but why bother?

Another wasted effort, just like that party.

"Max…" Kate dropped her gaze back toward the water as her team leader approached. "I don't want to talk about it."

Warren slid past Max and took a seat on the bench next to Kate. "You sure about that? I mean, who else can you trust if not your teammates?"

"No, it's too much. Too much for you to solve."

Max took her seat on Kate's left, keeping her hands folded in her lap. "Let us be the judge of that. Kate, we care about you. You have to know that we've always got your back. No matter what."

Kate shook her head. She stopped when a hand fell on her shoulder. When she looked up, Chloe stood behind her, hovering like a concerned mother. The expression on her face said now wasn't the time to argue with Max. Her lips flickered into a half-smile.

"Take it slow, all right?" said Chloe. "Just tell us what you can."

Kate took her hand and squeezed it back. At that moment, she felt more than the warmth of her friends' bodies sitting so close to her. She could luxuriate in the warmth of their love, tingling against her Aura like the sun on a cool spring morning. With each deep breath she took, her nerves settled down. Seeing her reflection in the water didn't hurt as much either. Neither did the sight of her long ears—the ears she'd earned as her mother's daughter.

"I…" She swallowed, fighting against a suddenly dry throat. "I should've told you a long time ago. But, last month? When I said I was visiting friends in town, I was actually at a Royals party with Dana."

Max and Warren exchanged a glance but said nothing. Warren simply nodded at her to go on.

"It was an off-campus party. I thought it'd be a good way to meet new people, and Dana said I wouldn't have to stay for more than an hour." Kate gripped her hands together, pressing them into her lap. She closed her eyes and felt the memories struggling against their bonds deep within her mind. Red and white lights flashed everywhere she looked when she drifted back to that night beside Dana, who'd never once stopped dancing or smiling.

"Nathan was there," she continued. Just saying his name burned her tongue. "He was handing out drinks from the bar. He said something to me when he gave me one, but I couldn't hear him over the music. I took a few sips and then… then…"

Chloe's hand tightened on her shoulder. So did her voice. "Kate. Tell me he didn't—"

"No, he didn't try anything!" Kate's cheeks burned red at the suggestion. "All I can remember is coming to in the alley behind the nightclub. I… I'd torn my sleeve somewhere along the way. And when I checked my Scroll, I saw that my Aura had dropped a few levels. Like I'd been in a fight with someone." She let out a shuddering exhale, allowing her memories of the cold, dark alley play itself out. "I didn't know what else to do, so I cast a stealth spell, and I ran back here."

Warren rubbed at her back, right between the shoulder blades. Kate swam in gratitude for the knot of tension that broke underneath his caring touch.

"So why not tell us about this?" he asked. "Or Ozpin or Goodwitch?"

Max leaned against Kate, her eyes narrowing in thought. "There's something else you're not telling us. Something about Nathan, right?"

There was no getting past it. She had to tell them. She'd always known this day would come.

"I can't go against him. Not directly, anyway." Kate took another deep breath to clear her head, pushing back the guilt and the grief. "My family couldn't afford to leave Menagerie, let alone send me to Beacon. I'm mostly self-taught as a Faunus—as a fighter. The only way I could get a scholarship to come here was through the Prescotts."

"Oh, Kate." Max wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders. "Your whole family's in debt?"

"My parents are under contract. Ten years of labor as guest workers in Pan Estates."

Chloe snorted. "Figures the Prescotts would treat every Faunus like dirt."

"Well, we've gotta do something!" Warren's face hardened into a mask of rage. "Every second Nathan goes unpunished is another injustice—"

"Please, don't…" Kate rubbed at her nose with the back of her sleeve. "Don't do anything rash. Not for me."

Max's voice was warm in her ear. "Kate… I can't believe that Ozpin wouldn't do something about this. If you told him your story, we'll back you up."

"But it's my word against his!" Fighting back tears, Kate turned away from Max. She couldn't look any of them in the eye. Never again. "There's no evidence. That's all I've got—a story!"

"Kate—"

"Hey."

No one had heard Chloe move until she was standing in front of Kate. Before the Faunus could respond, Chloe bent down and wrapped her arms around the girl. Pushing Kate's face into her shoulder, she held on tight, all but crushing her friend's chest against her own. Kate couldn't stop herself from crying by then. She still felt awful, though, for letting her tears soak into Chloe's uniform.

"C'mon now," said Chloe. "We believe you, Kate. Don't you ever forget it."

"Oh, Chloe." Kate's voice was a ragged sob, but she fought to get the words out. "I want to believe you. I really do…"

The hug seemed to last forever, which suited Kate just fine. She'd rather stay in Chloe's arms than face the harsh reality that was her life. No one else mattered apart from these three humans who'd shown her nothing but love and support since Day One. She could still see herself landing in the Emerald Forest with the other students. Nothing could compare to the exhilaration of that moment when she'd cast a light spell to distract an Ursa, allowing her new partner Warren to finish it off with a blast from his telescoping staff mortar, Simia Verdant.

That was the day when she realized she could be a hero. That she _mattered._

For all the damage they'd done to her family, the Prescotts could never take that away.

"Then let's make a difference. Right here, right now." Max's voice brought Kate back to reality. When she looked up, her teammate had stood and was looking back at her with an outstretched hand. "I'm going to Ozpin, and I'm telling him everything. And if Nathan Prescott thinks he can get you kicked out of Beacon, then he's got another thing coming."

Warren clasped his hand on Kate's shoulder. "Come on, Kate. We're with you to the end."

Kate sniffled, but she finally mustered a smile. She let Chloe help her to her feet and took a tentative step toward Max.

"Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

At the heart of Beacon Academy stood the clock tower, gleaming in majesty with reflected sunlight dancing across its many emerald facets and angles. At first glance, the tower was flawless; it gave the impression of being a natural stone formation than anything manmade. Only by approaching it on foot could anyone see that its smooth exterior and interior were actually covered with thousands of tiny repeating patterns and details, painstakingly carved by dozens of artisans from generations past. From top to bottom, the clock tower was a testament to the strength and ingenuity of the human race.

The same could be said of its most senior resident. Professor Ozpin sat behind his clockwork desk at the pinnacle of the tower, regarding Max with a gentle frown. On the surface, he didn't seem too disturbed by the news she'd brought, but she couldn't escape the impression that other gears were turning deep inside his head when he looked at her.

 _More like through me,_ she reflected.

"Tell me, Miss Caulfield." Ozpin swirled around the coffee in his mug as he regarded Max from the other side of the desk. "Do you believe what Chloe said was true?"

Max kept her hands clasped behind her back, hiding their fidgeting beneath her cloak. She fought just as hard to keep her voice calm and clear. "I do, sir."

"Well, I admire your conviction. And your loyalty to your friend." Ozpin's smile shifted into a frown in the span of a single heartbeat. "Unfortunately, as much as I would like to take you at your word, I'm afraid that we've found nothing to suggest human activity in Forever Fall apart from our class excursions. So unless Miss Amber is somehow alive and masquerading as one of your classmates—"

"Which would be ridiculous," Max agreed.

"—It would seem more than likely that Chloe was only imagining her in the forest." Ozpin took a short sip from his mug before he set it down on the desk. He clasped her hands together over his chest. "I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this."

Max nodded. She'd thought the same when Chloe had first told her, but she'd fought back that little doubt on the off-chance that maybe—just maybe—her friend had been right this time. That there was a big enough mystery to break loose here.

Or maybe Max was letting her guilt over seeing Chloe die from an Ursa attack get the better of it.

"If you don't mind me asking, were Chloe and Rachel close?" Ozpin inquired.

Again, Max nodded. "Rachel used to visit Arcadia Bay. She had family there, even though she went to Shade. She and Chloe were inseparable every time she came to town." Memories of those shiny, happy days made Max smile a little. "Chloe was ecstatic when she found out that Rachel got accepted into Beacon. We were going to be on the same team if we could manage it, but, well, you know how that turned out."

"What we know is that her body was never found." Lowering his eyes, Ozpin seemed to deflate in his chair. "And with so many creatures of Grimm in the woods, it's impossible to tell if there's anything left of her. Not a single scrap of clothing, nor any sign of her weapon."

His words hit Max like a punch to the gut, but she remained on her feet with her hands behind her back. She didn't picture Rachel's lifeless body surrounded by Grimm, but rather Chloe, sobbing and hysterical when she got the news that Rachel never made it out of the forest. Even on the happy occasion of assembling Team MCKW, the mood in their dorm had been low. Max had held Chloe every night for a week, as the latter cried herself to sleep in her partner's arms.

"I am, however, more concerned with the news regarding your friend Kate Marsh," Ozpin continued. He rose from his chair and made his way around the desk, keeping his eyes on Max as he spoke. "If a student acts poorly off campus, it reflects poorly on the whole of Beacon Academy. And if someone mistreats another student, even outside these walls, then it becomes my business as well."

For the first time in their conversation, Max enjoyed a glimmer of hope. She met Ozpin's gaze as he came to a stop in front of her.

"Do you believe that Nathan did something to Kate?" he asked.

"I do, sir."

"And if I made a discreet call to one of the detectives in the Vale Police Department, would you or Kate be willing to make a statement about the incident?"

Max blinked. "You'd… you'd do that?"

"As I said, Miss Caulfield, I take the safety of my students seriously." Ozpin smiled and put his hand on Max's shoulder. "I'm aware that you're all training to be Huntsmen and Huntresses, which means your lives will be full of danger. But at this school, you're also under my protection against the harm that any classmate or faculty member might do to you. You're here to learn how to fight the creatures of Grimm, not each other."

Despite her reserve, Max couldn't hold back the smile any longer. "Thank you, sir. I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear you say that."

"I can assure you that Nathan will be questioned about this matter." Ozpin pushed up the brim of his glasses, stepping away from Max as he did. "But that also means that you and your teammates should leave the investigation to the administrators here at Beacon. Is that clear?"

Max nodded. "Perfectly clear, sir."

* * *

Never had Chloe been more grateful that the hallways of the student dorms were empty. She held onto Kate's hand, leading her up a flight of stairs onto their floor at a slow, determined pace. Around every corner, they paused and checked for signs of activity. Kate had insisted that there was no reason for it, but Chloe wouldn't stand for that kind of talk.

She'd already failed to watch her partner's back once before. It wouldn't happen again.

"We'll get back to the dorm and wait for Max," she told Kate as they turned the final corner. "I'm hoping Ozpin will have something better than a few kind words and a pat on the head."

"But, Chloe, we've got Battle Practice—"

"Not today, you don't." Glancing over her shoulder, she flashed Kate a cheeky grin. "If anyone asks, just say I got my dumb butt in trouble again, and _you_ had to go and rescue me. That oughta do the trick."

Kate's cheeks turned red. "I know you and Max want to protect me, but I can look after myself. Really, I can."

"I'm sure you can, but until we hear back from the top brass, I'm not taking any chances."

When they passed a row of windows, Chloe looked out at the courtyard below. Sure enough, she caught a glimpse of Warren standing watch near the main entrance. To any bystander, he didn't seem on guard, given that his nose was deep in some science textbook, but even from indoors and several flights up, Chloe could feel the strength of his Aura. Their teammate had sharper senses than anyone else around, except for maybe Max and her handy little time rewind.

Team MCKW's room was down the hall on the left-hand side, only six doors down from Teams RWBY and JNPR, who sat across from each other in the middle. As she came toward JNPR's room, Chloe found her eyes lingering on the doorknob. Most teams would be at Battle Practice, but she suspected that Nora Valkyrie could be hanging around.

And if that were the case, that meant she'd have the latest issue of _X-Ray and Vav._ Chloe adored those comics—as did Max, even if she wasn't as open about it. Maybe, if Chloe were lucky, she could hole up with Kate in their room and catch up on the latest comic in the ongoing "Mogar's Destiny" arc.

 _There are,_ Chloe mused, _worse ways to spend an afternoon when you're skipping class._

"Hold up one sec," she told Kate. Letting go of her hand, Chloe turned to Team JNPR's door and knocked three times.

"Just a second!" a bubbly voice called out from within. Chloe's palms itched with anticipation.

The words _X-Ray and Vav_ were on the tip of Chloe's tongue when she heard a sudden click from behind. All thoughts of the comic book dried up at once, replaced by a sudden tension forming deep in her gut. Instinct took over and she spun around. Her hands slid forward, fists balled, as she adopted a ready stance.

Kate had already leaped away from the door that opened behind her. She adopted the same pose as Chloe (the very person who'd taught it to her), her eyes wide with panic.

In the open doorway stood Nathan Prescott, sweating and twitching. Unlike the other students, he wasn't wearing his uniform, but clad in the same battle gear they'd seen him in earlier. He stared down the two girls with a grim expression on his face.

And in his hand was a damp-looking rag. Even from the other side of the hallway, Chloe could smell a faint chemical odor emanating from it.

She doubted it was anything recreational.

"Didja lose something, Nathan?" asked Chloe. Her arms remained upright and ready for action.

"Don't…" Nathan shook his head. He lifted the handkerchief toward Kate. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

Kate's face turned pale. The look in her eyes said that she knew exactly what that rag contained.

"Prescott, I'm warning you." Chloe put herself in front of Kate. "You take one more step and I'll—"

"You'll do _nothing_ ," Nathan hissed.

One second, he was standing in front of Chloe. In the next instant, he was gone. The air where he'd stood went _pop_ as his mass disappeared.

Chloe spun around, already anticipating his next move. Sure enough, the little greaseball had teleported himself behind Kate. Grabbing her arm with his other hand, he jammed the chloroform rag into her face. She bucked against his grip like a wild animal, jamming her elbows backward over and over.

Nathan was too focused on Kate to see Chloe's punch coming. Her fist connected with the underside of his jaw. The impact sent him reeling back into the wall, hard enough to make the framed pictures above his head rattle. Nathan dropped the rag onto the floor and clutched at his face. A low, anguished moan escaped his lips when he did.

"Oww, bitch!" He parted his fingers long enough to glare at her. "You're gonna pay _big_ time for that! Just wait and see!"

Chloe drew her arm back, using her other hand to pull Kate away from him. But before she could throw another punch, the young man threw back his head and laughed. In a flash, he disappeared from the hallway entirely. Chloe could still hear him laughing, so she kicked at the spot where he'd stood for good measure.

"Son of a—" Unable to finish the curse, she settled for slamming her fist into the wall. Twice. The resulting punches left noticeable dents in the wall, as a trail of dust and plaster fell onto the carpet.

At long last, the door to Team JNPR's dorm opened. Nora poked her red head out into the hallway, giving Chloe and Kate a strange glance. "Heya, girls! What's all the commotion?"

"Nathan Prescott," Chloe growled. She drew a quivering Kate Marsh to her chest, resting her chin on top of the other girl's head.

"Gotcha!" Nora's grin was insatiable. "Wanna go break his legs? I call dibs on the kneecaps!"

"I'm afraid that's against Academy policy, Miss Valkyrie," a stern voice called out from the other end of the hall. Everyone turned to see Glynda Goodwitch briskly marching toward them with her riding crop in hand and the usual no-nonsense expression plastered across her face. She didn't break eye contact with Chloe when she lifted her crop and waved it at the wall next to Nora's room. A violet wave of Aura rippled across the wall, repairing the damage that Chloe had done only moments ago, with no trace left that there'd been any dents in the first place.

Chloe's face went tight with rage. "Yeah, well, so's harassing students like poor Kate."

"Indeed." Glynda turned to Kate. Chloe half-expected her to scold the girl, but she was surprised to see her teacher's face soften. Stretching out her hand, she lifted Kate's chin with her riding crop and offered the Faunus a smile. "Are you all right, Miss Marsh? Are you hurt?"

"N-no, ma'am." Kate wiped at her nose with her sleeve. "I'm fine, really."

"That's good to hear. If you like, I can escort you to Headmaster Ozpin's office. I'm sure he'll want to lend his assistance if you'd like to lodge a formal complaint about Nathan to the police."

"'Bout damn time," Chloe muttered, using Kate's hair to muffle the sound of her voice.

Glynda led the two of them down the hallway, with Nora watching them go. Chloe kept quiet as they left, but when Kate reached out and grabbed her hand, she smiled. Giving her a squeeze back, she stayed close to Kate and let her Aura extend out.

Nathan had vanished. But she doubted that the creep would be gone for long.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: I'm sorry to say that this story is unfinished. I wish I could've given it my all, but I've got other projects to work on, and to be perfectly honest, I wrote this to exorcise all my feelings about the finale for**_ **Life is Strange.** _ **I'm grateful to the readers I got for this story and for anyone who started following my work.**_

 _ **In the meantime, if you're a big LiS fan like me, might I suggest you read my last complete story,**_ **Persistence of Vision?** _ **It has a happy ending for everyone and does a better job of dealing with some of the themes from Episode 5: Polarized.**_

* * *

 **Four: Going Backstage**

" _You're looking well, sir. I trust your new bodyguard meets to your satisfaction?"_

" _So far, yes. But I'm not pleased with the news about my son."_

" _My apologies, sir. Nathan took a rash course of action. We would have already wrapped up this loose end had he consulted me first."_

" _Another loose end? You're getting soft."_

" _It won't happen again. Nathan is safe with me, and I have only a few more pieces to collect before we can move forward with the plan."_

" _I trust you to keep a tight rein on my son. If he proves to be a liability—"_

" _Of course, sir. It'll be clean, just as promised."_

Inside the main dining hall, the atmosphere was electric with a thousand conversations. Max tried to keep her head down, but that didn't deter the occasional odd glance thrown her way. Almost everyone snuck a peek at her, but it was her teammates that captured their interest and drew the most chatter.

"You really gotta hand it to Beacon," said Chloe. She paused to grin and shoot one curious classmate a thumbs-up. "News travels fast here."

"Yeah," Max answered. "Too fast."

She sat with her friends at one of the long tables near the western end of the dining hall. It had been Warren's suggestion that they stick close to the nearest exit if necessary. Of course, the longer Team MCKW enjoyed their meal, the more they realized that Team DJLN hadn't shown up. Ever since Nathan Prescott's disappearance two days earlier, the three remaining members of his team were showing their faces less and less. Someone would spot Dana Ward or Juliet Watson in class, but that was it. Rumor had it that Luke Parker was delivering or cooking up their meals in their dorm just to avoid a public spectacle.

"Hey, Max?" Warren leaned to the left, glancing past Max's shoulder at the table behind her. "If I were you, I wouldn't turn around. You-Know-Who might vaporize you with her laser eyes."

That dread in her stomach grew worse with each word. Max picked up Chloe's unused spoon and polished it with her napkin. Lifting it to the level of her eyes, she risked a quick glance at her reflection in the metal.

Victoria Chase was staring daggers at the back of Max's head. The tray of food in front of her had barely been touched, even while the rest of Team VYLT were enjoying their lunch and gossiping. For a moment, Max half-expected to see Victoria's eyes turn red and to feel the back of her head burst into flame. But when the miracle of combustion didn't occur, Max dropped the spoon back on her table and lowered her eyes to her half-finished sandwich.

A hand slid itself across the bench next to Max. She looked over and saw Kate beside her, offering a gentle smile. Max smiled back and squeezed her hand, her veins flooded with relief.

"Don't let Little Miss Rich Thing get ya down," said Chloe. She took a long, exaggerated sip from her soda can, then paused to burp into her fist. " _Urp._ Anyway, it's not like Vicky's gonna lay a finger on you. We got the ear of Ozpin, Goodwitch, and about half the police right now. She tries anything, and she's toast!"

"And that's also why we need to keep a low profile," Max replied. Meeting Chloe's gaze, she pressed her lips together in a grim line. "I know you want to do some more digging into Rachel's case—"

"And Kate's," Chloe insisted.

"—But like you said, we've got too many eyes on us right now." Max paused to look at each of her teammates, meeting their eyes with a calm stare. "We've all worked hard to get here. And we're going to stay successful if we don't draw the wrong kind of attention to ourselves. Nathan going after Kate the way he did was a fluke. We don't have to antagonize other people if we want to become one of the top teams at Beacon."

She felt Kate's hand tremble at the mention of Nathan and gave it another squeeze. Meanwhile, Warren looked between Max and a still irritated Chloe, giving the impression of a lost puppy.

"So…" He rubbed the back of his head. "Does that mean we're not looking into Kate's case? Like, at all?"

"Ozpin said it himself. Let the police handle it."

"Yeah, but Nathan's protected, you know?" When everyone stopped to look at him, Warren returned a sheepish grin. "I mean, if I had his family fortune, I'd be holed up somewhere that wasn't my daddy's estate. That'd be the first place the cops would look, right?"

"Well…" Max fumbled, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse. The only trouble was that she couldn't.

Warren was making too much sense. As usual.

"C'mon, Max." Chloe leaned across the table, giving her partner a mischievous smile. "You can't tell me you're not the _least_ bit interested to see where this goes?"

"It's not our responsibility—"

"Yes, it is." Chloe leaned back in her seat, all signs of playfulness suddenly gone from her face and her voice. This was Chloe in Battle Mode, the girl who took down Grimm and sparring partners without breaking a sweat. "Max, it's our responsibility to look out for Kate. The cops have her statement, but they're not gonna go against Sean Prescott's Club for Millionaires. They'll just say Nathan is missing and make it a cold case, end of story."

Max wanted to rebuff her reasoning, but she was finding it difficult to do. The more she listened, the more her inner adventurer wanted to get involved. To go traipsing through the wilderness outside Vale or down a back alley in search of clues, with her whole team deployed in concert.

What Huntress wouldn't give her left arm for such an opportunity?

She looked at Kate and softened her tone. "You've got more stake in this than any of us, Kate. What do you think we should do?"

Kate fiddled with her fork full of leafy greens, keeping it close to her plate. When she looked Max in the eye, her face was lined with sadness. "Max, I'm scared. I'm terrified about what happened to me, and I don't want it to happen to anyone else." She swallowed. "Especially if Nathan is out there somewhere, doing to someone else what he tried to do to me."

"See, Max?" Chloe gestured at Kate, patting a spot on the table in front of her. "Even she's onboard. So how about it?"

Taking a moment, Max closed her eyes. She retreated to that little black corner in her head where she weighed all her decisions. An invaluable space to have as a team leader, especially before heading out into danger.

Rachel's disappearance. Her sighting in the woods. Kate's incident at the off-campus party. Nathan's attempt at kidnapping. All of it had to be connected, somehow.

 _Go for it,_ her hindbrain whispered.

 _Danger,_ her frontal lobe insisted.

Opening her eyes, Max saw Chloe staring at her with a guarded expression. Beautiful, strong Chloe, who had no reason to lie to Max when she claimed to saw Rachel Amber in the woods. The same girl who'd fought by her side all the way from Arcadia Bay to Beacon Academy, never daring to leave her behind for someone else, even when Rachel had caught her eye on the first day of training.

"Okay," said Max. She looked down at her hands, now clenched into fists as her heartbeat rose.

Chloe grinned. "That's my Super Max. Now, tell me you've got a plan."

"Not yet, but I will by tonight…"

* * *

Halfway across the city of Vale, just down the block from the Simple Wok noodle shop, was one of the hottest nightclubs in town. On the outside, it didn't look like anything special—an ordinary obsidian building with a velvet rope over the front door. Not even a sign to mark its existence to the public.

But then, it wasn't catering to the public. Only the elite few.

Max didn't mind any of the stares she got when she and the rest of her team joined the dozens of guys and girls waiting in line. She knew she wasn't on the list; Victoria Chase had ensured that. And as they got closer, the bouncer at the end of the line didn't appear any friendlier.

Still, she'd told Chloe she had a plan. And she was going to prove it in a few seconds.

"Max, I appreciate the support," Kate was saying, "but you could've left me back on campus."

"You'll be fine, Kate. Just remember to keep your hood up." Looking over her shoulder, Max took a moment to confirm that her teammate was, in fact, concealing her rabbit ears beneath the hood of her cloak. In any case, Warren was close behind her, ready to cause trouble for anyone who got too close.

Whatever Nathan had pulled wouldn't happen on Max's watch. She gripped her left hand into a fist, feeling that raw scarlet energy trace its way through her veins. Her Semblance came to life right when she needed it.

"Uhh, Max?" Chloe leaned over Max's shoulder, nudging her with the tip of her chin. "At what point do I need to bust that dude's face up? Because the scowl he's giving me is asking for it."

"It's cool. We've got this." Max let out a short breath and looked the bouncer in the eye. She waited until the group of kids ahead of them passed through the open doors and into the club. Then she took a step forward and cleared her throat.

The bouncer stared back with a scowl, his arms crossed over his chest. "Give your name or show me your pass, I don't care which."

"Max Caulfield, party of four," Max replied in a more respectful tone. "I'm sure we're on the list."

With a grunt, the man reached into a pocket on his suit and pulled out his Scroll. He flipped his thumb over the surface and glanced down at the screen. Then, with a curt shake of his head, he eyed Max over the rim of his shades. "Sorry, no Max Caulfield. Better luck next time."

Max clasped her hands together. "I'm sure there must be some mistake—"

"Oh, there's _no_ mistake, Max!"

On the heels of that sharp voice came a young woman about Max's age, dressed in a black-and-white striped dress. She walked with an aristocratic gait, but with the poise of someone who learned it by rote instead of being born to it. When she laid eyes on Team MCKW, her glare was no less frosty.

"Your little geek squad doesn't belong anywhere near the Atlesian Royals," said Courtney Wagner. She mirrored the bouncer's pose, arms crossed over her chest with a sneer pointed downward. "And even if you _did_ get an invite, there's no way Victoria will ever honor it. Not after what you did with Nathan."

"That wasn't my fault—"

"Yeah, you wanna blame somebody? Try me!" Chloe shoved her way toward Courtney, towering over the girl by a full foot. Courtney backed away as Chloe's hand dropped into her jacket, obviously going for the outline of her weapon concealed underneath. "I mean, I'm the one who scared his scrawny little butt away from Beacon!"

"D-don't you come any closer!" Courtney ducked behind the bouncer for cover. "For goodness sake, don't let them in!"

"Now, see here, Missy—"

The bouncer's words died in his throat when Chloe's fist connected with the underside of his jaw. He flew up into the air by a few feet, just long enough for Chloe to reach through the space he'd vacated and yank Courtney toward her. The impact dislodged something in the other girl's clutch bag, allowing Max to see a gleaming gold insignia stamped on a velvet black card.

 _Bingo,_ she thought.

Out loud, she said, "Excuse me, I'll be taking that."

Before Courtney could react, Max had reached into her purse and snatched the velvet card. Sure enough, it was a gold facsimile of the Atlas Academy emblem on the front. A literal calling card for the Atlesian Royals clique, and a guaranteed pass to the club's VIP section.

 _And away we go._ Max lifted her hand and watched as the commotion at the entrance played itself in reverse. Chloe dropped Courtney back onto her feet as the bouncer landed in between them. After taking back some choice words, Courtney slipped back inside, and the bouncer stopped to look back at his Scroll. When Max saw the Scroll disappear, she released her hold, pausing to clutch at her head.

 _When this night is over, I'll go to Pyrrha for some aspirin,_ she thought weakly.

"…Give me your name or show me your pass, I don't care which," the bouncer was saying. He threw an unpleasant glance toward Kate but said nothing. Max found it suspicious, but not enough to pursue at the moment.

Instead, she met the older man's grim stare with a smile. Without a word, she flashed Courtney's VIP pass in front of his eyes.

She relished the tiny chuckle that Chloe uttered behind her.

"Okay, you're in." As the bouncer lifted the velvet rope away from the door, he pushed up his glasses with his other hand. "Just so we're clear, keep your weapons concealed, your money on hand, and any beef with the other guests to yourselves. We clear?"

"As crystal," Chloe remarked. She shot a wink at the other girls behind them in line before following Max inside. As the doors slid shut behind the four of them, she spun around and hugged Max around the waist. "Girl, you are _magic!_ You gotta tell me how you pulled that off!"

"Later," said Max. She nodded toward the staircase that led down into the club interior. "First, let's enjoy the party."

 _FIN_


End file.
